


rhythm & blues

by pinqaliqo



Category: 2NE1, Big Bang (Band), Heize (Musician), IU (Musician), Wonder Girls, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-05-18 02:11:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14843618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinqaliqo/pseuds/pinqaliqo
Summary: A slice of life piece following K-Pop artists in a dance AU where they go through normal trials and tribulations of life. Work, life, school, love. Whatever I feel like writing about. Will include other acts in the future as well. (:





	1. one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hoseok breaks up with trybe

          “What _the fuck_ did you say to me?”

          Dance rehearsal started just as normal as it did any other night. Members of Trybe piled into the studio ten minutes just before their schedule started and at ten, Kwon Jiyong, Dong Youngbae, and Kim Yoobin would enter after everyone else. They announced their agenda for the night and then in order, Yoobin would lead their stretches and warm up, Youngbae would teach them choreography, then Jiyong would go over conditioning. With dates of their next competition approaching, the whole team was plagued with stress, but keeping everyone on schedule helped ease everyone’s nerves.

          But not exactly everyone.

          Hoseok stared up at Jiyong with a stern look that matched the older man’s expression. It was a well-known fact that the two young men have never gotten along and have only lasted this long without any serious altercation because they both respected each other’s skills too much to let their stubborn personalities get the best of them.

          But today was different.

          “I said I’m tired of your bitching and moaning,” Hoseok hissed. He had enough of Jiyong and his infamous moods.

          While everyone else on the team fell silent, Jiyong laughed a bitter laugh before shoving a pointer finger dangerously at the younger man. Hoseok was ready to attack the moment he moved, but his teammates, Han Sol and Gong Minji, were quick to grab hold of his hands and restrain him.

          “You know what Hoseok? I’m tired of hearing the shit that comes out of your mouth and I don’t understand why you still stick around if you’re so tired of my bitching and moaning. Why don’t you just fucking leave already?” Jiyong growled through gritted teeth.

          “I’m gone! Fuck this!” Hoseok barked back. In one swift move, he shook Sol and Minji off of him, causing them to jump back in shock. When he turned around to storm off, he caught their frightened expressions and frowned, bowing to them as a sign of silent apology. Then he rushed to grab his belongings and run out the door.

          “ _Oppa_ , that’s really not the best way to handle things,” Sol mustered after a few minutes of silence.

          “If you don’t like it, you can leave too,” the older man seethed, turning his back on her so that he could walk over to the sound system.

          “Sol, don’t go,” Yoobin pleaded.

          Although Jiyong was no longer paying attention to her, he could only imagine her running off the same way that Hoseok had. He listened to her footsteps as they traveled across the studio, listened to her as she gathered her duffle bag, and listened as the entrance to the studio swung open.

          “I’m his only ride. I have to make sure he gets home safely,” he heard the younger woman say. Before she closed the door behind her, she added, “Yoobin- _unni_ , can you please do me a favor and make sure Chaerin, Harin, and Minji get home safely after practice too?”

          If there was confirmation, Jiyong didn’t hear it. All he heard was the sound of the door finally closing behind the younger woman. He turned around after the sound receded to face the rest of his teammates. They all looked to him with apprehension on their faces, unsure exactly of what to do next or what to expect. A groan escaped him.

          “Let’s start from the top.”

* * *

 

          The car ride home was silent for a majority of their route, tension so thick a knife could slice through it. Although Hoseok was thankful that Sol had been the one to chase after him, her presence did nothing to extinguish his anger. He sat in her passenger seat with his arms crossed over his chest and his expression twisted and distorted in emotion. Sol knew better than to say anything to him when he was in this state, but she was uncomfortable to have to sit through it.

          “I’m sorry _noona_ ,” he managed as they arrived in his neighborhood. From his peripheral, he noted the way she flinched when he finally spoke up. “I know you wanted me to tough it out a little longer but I really can’t deal with him. He’s such an asshole.”

          “I know,” Sol laughed, though more to release the nerves that plagued her for a majority of the ride.

          “I’m gonna make my own dance team,” he announced after more consideration. He turned to look at her reaction. She was focused on spotting his home in the poorly lit neighborhood. “You should join me. We could lead it together.”

          She remained silent as she pulled up to his residence and set her car to park. The silence that she was drawing was telling enough for whatever answer she was going to give him. As disappointed as he was, he was expecting it. She had been dancing with the older man for longer than he had known either of them and while she was his next biggest target after Hoseok, she actually welcomed the challenges he threw at her. Like the others in the team, she was loyal to his cause.

          “Look, Hoseok, I’m not gonna fight you to stay with the team. I know that you’ve had your complaints about Jiyong- _oppa_ for the longest time and I also know that at some point, you are going to make a great leader for your own dance team and it seems the time has come,” she finally answered. “I’m not ready for that step in my life yet and I don’t know if I ever will be, but I do know that I’ll always support you in whatever you want to do because you’re an amazing dancer and I don’t want you to lose your talent.”

          A deep frown settled on Hoseok’s features, his head bowing lower and lower as she continued to talk. When she looked over at him she sighed before placing her hand on the back of his neck.

          “You’ll do fine without me. You don’t need me anymore.”


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> minji with her friends at school

          Minji was as frigid as a statue as she looked up at the university’s bulletin board. She had been perusing the bulletin board in hopes of finding another part-time job when she found a flyer for auditions being held in the dance department’s main studio with Hoseok’s name plastered all over it. Only one day had passed since the incident that took place at rehearsal, but the young man was so quick to move on as if he had been planning this for a long time. Minji would have been lying if she said she wasn’t bitter by how quickly he had dumped them for something new. It was a hop and skip away from feeling like betrayal…  
  
          “Sol- _unni_ knew,” Harin chimed in as she claimed her place beside her friend. “She was the one who encouraged him.”  
  
          “Oh, how’d you know?” Minji asked.  
  
          “Chaerin- _unni_ told me,” Harin answered. When Minji frowned, she laughed. “Don’t be so salty. We’ll be fine without him.”  
  
          A growl escaped Minji. “Aren’t you annoyed though? We have only one more month until competition and he pulls this shit. He’s so selfish.”  
  
          “It’s nothing we haven’t dealt with before,” Harin shrugged. “There was that time when Seungri- _oppa_ broke his ankle; when Daesung- _oppa_ had to get surgery; when Sunye- _unni_ got bronchitis…”  
  
          “Okay, I get your point.”  
  
          Harin spared her a sympathetic smile before urging her to follow her down the hallway to the next class they shared together. It always eased Minji to know that she had friends in every single one of her classes, but she was more apprehensive about attending now because she would see Hoseok there with them. She hadn’t talked to him since the night he stormed out of the studio. Harin had been different though, strolling into class without a care in the world and willingly taking the open seat to Hoseok’s left while Junghyun, Namjoon, and Yoongi were seated to his right. Minji followed quietly.  
  
          “Hello ladies,” Namjoon greeted first, leaning over his tablet arm to get a better view of Minji and Harin. He noted the way that Minji avoided looking over in their direction. “Hoseok was just telling us about the new dance team he’s making.”  
  
          “Are you going to join?” Harin responded, a sly smile on her face.  
  
          Her eyes drifted slowly from Namjoon to Hoseok who only looked at her with a nervous smile.  
  
          “Hell yeah,” Namjoon said with believable excitement. “Yoongi- _hyung_ ’s joining too.”  
  
          Minji couldn’t keep pretending like she wasn’t listening at this point, her head whipping at the notion of the two young men were even interested in dancing. In all of their years of friendship, they had never expressed that they wanted to learn or even dance with them while they were on the team but now that Hoseok was constructing his own team, they were suddenly all for it.  
  
          She was so bitter.  
  
          “Bullshit,” she claimed out loud, earning everyone’s attention. “You never wanted to dance with us before. Why do you wanna dance now?”  
  
          “Correction: We didn’t wanna dance with Jiyong- _ssi,_ ” Yoongi responded after pulling out his earphones from his ears. A smug smirk danced on his lips. “We actually wanna dance with Hoseok. He’s a good teacher.”  
  
          At the mention of his name, Minji shot a glare at Hoseok.  
  
          “Besides, it’ll give us a chance to kick your ass when we’re competition ready,” Yoongi added.  
  
          Minji rolled her eyes. “Yeah right.”  
  
          “Hey man, don’t underestimate us!” Namjoon warned her before exploding into a very aggressive dance in his seat which consisted of flailing arms and the odd whipping of his head.  
  
          While everyone burst into laughter, Minji watched on with contempt before her eyes traveled to Hoseok to gauge his reaction. He was watching Namjoon carefully with a soft look on his face until he noticed that he was being watched and met Minji’s eyes. Her gaze unnerved him, wiping off the smile on his face only to replace it with tight, pursed lips. There was no need for her to say anything to him, turning her head when Jieun finally joined them and leaning back into her seat.  
  
          Hoseok knew the consequences of his actions but it still pained him.


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> compromising positions (lol omg)

          “Fuck.”

          Sol looked away from her cell phone, her eyes glazed over with fatigue, and shifted her gaze to Youngbae as he sat at the edge of his bed. His bare back tensed with the way he hissed the expletive and it left Sol perplexed. Youngbae was never one to curse and to hear the words fall from his lips surprised her. Curious, she shifted and crawled over to him while she clutched her phone and the sheets to her chest. When she sat beside him, she rested her chin on his shoulder to find him looking through a group message with Jiyong, Yoobin, and the group cast for his next concept video. Apparently, they had bombarded his phone with messages while she and Youngbae were previously preoccupied.

          “Jiyong cut Minji from the video,” Youngbae explained as he typed out his frustration. He was expressing his frustration over decisions being made without consulting him. “And then he changed the formation. We could have just easily had Seungri fill in. We can’t be changing the blocking and the layers two hours before shooting.”

          “Seems like Jiyong- _oppa_ couldn’t wait for you to respond,” Sol mused. From the quick peek she had seen of their group chat, he had opened it for discussion before growing impatient and making all his executive decisions.

          “He could have called when I didn’t respond,” Youngbae reasoned.

          “Yeah, sure,” she snorted. “Would you have answered with your dick inside me?”

          Youngbae wriggled his nose at her choice of words, typing a quick, “ _Fine it’s all good I’ll see you soon,_ ” in the group chat before locking his phone and tossing it aside on the bed. Then he turned to catch Sol’s lips in his before pinning her underneath him. She giggled at the action and brought her hands up to her face to push him away.

          “Don’t say dick,” he ordered.

          “Don’t say fuck,” she fired back. “It’s weird when you curse.”

          He pulled back and sat upright, a closed-mouth smile dancing across his features as he looked down at her. He hadn’t noticed it before but Sol acted much differently when she was alone with him than when she was around the others. She was thoughtful and very caring, that much stayed the same, but she was more guarded and calculating when she was with the team or her friends. But whenever she would show up in his apartment, she seemed more vulnerable and open with him. He hadn’t noticed the change in behavior when they first initiated their arrangement, but the carefree laughter that she allowed him to hear notified him of it.

          “Why are you staring?” Sol questioned him, becoming shy under his gaze.

          “It’s my apartment. I can stare if I want,” he answered quickly.

          She didn’t question further and sat upright beside him before getting up to get dressed. As she slipped her clothes on, she made him a proposition: “Actually, I was thinking. Maybe I could replace Hoseok’s spot. It would be more balanced. I know his part really well, too. I practiced it with him.”

          The look on Youngbae’s face was enough to answer for her, his mouth dropping at the realization before he grabbed his phone. Peering over his shoulder again, Sol could see that he was relaying her suggestion to the group with all his words capitalized in excitement. He had even added Minji back into the group after being removed upon Jiyong’s hasty addition, instructing her to join them at the location at the original call time. He then added Sol to the group chat.

 

* * *

 

**LOCKJAW**  
  
---  
  
_youngbae added sol to LOCKJAW_  
  
**jiyong**  
r u sure she can do it

nvm  
hi  
  
**youngdeuk**

bruh  
  
**youngdon** **  
** bruh  
  
**sol**  
bruh  
yeah he’s sure it was my idea  
  
**jiyong**

yeah well don’t fuck it up  
where r u anyway  
  
**sunye**  
so original choreo original blocking?  
  
**sol**  
original everything easy peasy  
saved ya lives xoxo  
i’ll see you guys there  
  
 

* * *

 

          Panic had washed her over when Jiyong asked for her whereabouts. When she met Youngbae’s gaze, his expression mirrored hers.

          “Well,” Sol smacked her lips as her phone went off again. It was a message from Minji. “Minji asked me for a ride so I’ll drive there separately.”

          “Gotta shake’m off our scent,” Youngbae nodded. He watched as Sol gathered the rest of her things and before she made her descent down the ladder to the first floor of his loft apartment, she left him a soft kiss on the cheek.

          “I’ll see you later,” she muttered. “Drive safely.”


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> meet hoseok's new dance crew, the breed (i was gonna go with BoyScoutz but i wanted it to be inclusive in case i wanted to add girls to their team)

          “So Hoseok- _sunbaenim_ ’s a part of this group?” Taehyung questioned as he peered down at the small screen of his friend’s cell phone. On it, a YouTube video played by a group of seven dancers performing to French Montana’s _Lockjaw_.

          Beside him, Jimin nodded his head with fervor before pressing his index finger on his screen. “Minji- _sunbaenim_ is in this team, too. She’s a dance major also—Oh, oh! And that’s Sol- _ssi_! She’s in the video! Wow, she rarely shows up in their videos.”

“ _She ain't tryna be a freak but them bands keep poppin'_ _  
_ _Still caught up in the streets and the feds still knockin'._ ”

          “Are you a big fan of Trybe?”

          Their attention was quickly pulled away from the video when they realized that they were no longer alone in the studio. Taehyung and Jimin were greeted by three other men watching them with a mix of curiosity and indifference. From the three, he recognized Hoseok and immediately bowed to show his respect. Taehyung followed his cue.

          “If you’re joining us tonight expecting to dance with Trybe, I suggest you leave now. I’m recruiting for a new team because I don’t dance with them anymore.”

          Jimin’s eyes enlarged at his announcement and he shot to his feet immediately, his hands waving defensively in front of him. “No, that’s not it. We’re here because we want to dance with you. I’m a big fan of Trybe, but I’ve always wanted to dance with you. I even applied to this university because I heard you attended here.”

          “Hey, that’s hardcore.” The taller man standing to Hoseok’s left commented.

          “Hardcore creepy.” The shorter man standing to Hoseok’s right added.

          Hoseok was silent, his gaze hard and stern as he scrutinized Taehyung and Jimin as they exchanged nervous glances. He made it seem as if he was determining their worth to the team that he had yet to build, but he already made up his mind about accepting anyone who was interested in joining. His only worries were welcoming members whose only intention of joining was to meet the members of his old dance crew.

          “Well, whatever, welcome to The Breed,” Hoseok said as he stepped forward to commandeer the sound system, returning the phone that was already connected to it to Jimin who accepted it with a polite nod. “I’m Jung Hoseok. I danced with Trybe for seven years before recently quitting to create my own dance team, The Breed.”

          Namjoon, Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung—they all introduced themselves, following Hoseok’s cue. Kim Namjoon and Min Yoongi were both music majors with two left feet but happy to dance with their friend; Park Jimin was a dance major who has known contemporary all his life but has been following Trybe since high school; and Kim Taehyung was his best friend, a theater major who wanted to join simply because Jimin was and he thought it would be fun.

          A guttural sigh escaped Hoseok. He knew better than to expect more than this, but as long as he had a group and he was dancing, he was content.

          “Hey, Hoseok,” a voice interrupted just as Hoseok was scrolling through his playlist and when he turned to look, a familiar face greeted him: Kim Seokjin. Seokjin’s older brother was a common fixture among the dance team, having been close to Seungri and Chaerin’s friends, and as an extension, Seokjin was a common fixture among them as well. “Seungri- _hyung_ mentioned that you were going to be holding rehearsals at uni today so I wanted to stop by. I brought someone with me too. Found him waiting outside.”

          He had never had confidence in dancing before, but Hoseok was glad to see him joining them.

          When Seokjin walked in, a young man matching him in height followed him in with his shoulders rolled forward and eyes flitting in apprehension. Hoseok and his friends recognized him immediately from the uncanny resemblance he had to one of their friends.

          “You’re Jeon’s younger brother right?” Hoseok asked to which the young man responded with a fervent nod. “Are you interested in dancing with us?”

          Another fervent nod.

          A smile danced across his face as he looked at the faces of everyone that was in the studio now. They were still a small number, smaller than the team he was working with before, but again, as long as he had a group and he was dancing, he was content.

          “So, let’s get started.”


	5. five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> party at jiyong's house!

          “Cheers motherfuckers!”

          Jiyong’s cry cut through the music as he raised his shot glass to the ceiling. His team members around him followed suit, whooping and hollering before finally downing their poison of choice. It was a rare occurrence for him to invite people into his small apartment, but with the tension that Hoseok left in his wake, he knew that everyone was due for a break from all the extended rehearsals. But while everyone was partying, Youngbae’s eyes searched the small apartment for a missing presence.

          “Where’s Sol?” he finally asked after approaching Jiyong.

          “Didn’t get the memo? She’s in her room. She came down with the flu yesterday.”

          He turned to the entrance to the hallway where the door to the bathroom could be seen. Just as he did, he spotted Sol’s heavily clad figure slip into the bathroom. With Jiyong preoccupied once again with entertaining the rest of his guests, Youngbae made his way to the bathroom with the premise of heeding nature’s call. As he waited for the younger woman to exit, he looked to his left where Sol’s bedroom door sat at the end of the small hallway. Her door was slightly ajar and while her room was dimly lit, he could make out the dark silhouette of her feline friend as she watched him. He shuddered and then nearly jumped when the door to the bathroom finally opened.

          “Oh, you were waiting? Sorry. I was wiping everything down just in case,” Sol croaked.

          She made an attempt at slipping past him without sparing him a glance, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

          “Hey, why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

          When she finally looked up at him, her brows were knitted in confusion.

          “Why would I tell you? Would you have taken care of me?” she countered. “Friends don’t do that. Don’t be weird.”

          Youngbae blinked, stupefied by her reaction and line of questioning, and released her from his hold. After sparing him one more glance, although suspicious, Sol returned to the recluse of her bedroom and promptly locked her door. Even though they had been friends for a long time and he worried for her as a good friend would, she was right—his intention to tend to her was out of the norm in terms of their dynamic. Even with Jiyong as a roommate, he could imagine that he did not bat an eyelash when he found that the younger woman was ill. He probably just told her to get well as soon as she could so she wouldn’t miss next’s week’s rehearsals.

          What was he thinking, reaching out to her like that?

          “ _Oppa_ , are you done using the bathroom?” Chaerin’s voice broke him out of his stupor and immediately, he motioned for her to help herself before he finally rejoined the party. There he found that new faces had joined in attendance.

          “Oh, Seunghyun- _hyung_ , Jihyun, you guys made it,” he greeted the couple.

          Seunghyun smirked as he bellowed, “We go where the booze goes.”

          “Sunae- _unni_ is here. There’s someone she wants you to meet,” Jihyun added.

          She reached over to place her hand on Youngbae’s shoulder before guiding him to the kitchen where the party host found recluse, his arm wrapped around the aforementioned lady’s waist as she sipped on her beverage of choice for the night. Across from them, a young woman engaged them in conversation before falling silent at his sudden appearance. He offered her a soft smile before acknowledging Sunae. “Nice to see you again, Sunae- _noona_.”

          “Youngbae! It’s been a while!” she exclaimed before drawing him away from Jihyun and into her embrace. The other woman took this as her cue to leave and returned to her boyfriend’s side in the living room. When Sunae released him from the hug, he guided her to face the woman across from them. “This is my _unni_ , Jung Eunran.”

          “Dong Youngbae. It’s nice to meet you,” Youngbae greeted. He held his hand out for Eunran to shake and when she did, he bowed as well. Jiyong and Sunae laughed at his need for formalities but he ignored them. “How do you know Sunae- _noona_?”

          They quickly fell into easy conversation, to which Youngbae could see Sunae and Jiyong were thankful for. Sunae had been on his case for a long time about finding a girlfriend and while he was always steadfast in politely declining her offers to set him up with someone, he felt that it wouldn’t be so bad now to entertain her guest. Eunran was an attractive woman after all who worked as a program manager at a tech company and moonlighted as a model alongside with Sunae…

          His eyes briefly strayed to the hallway where Sol’s bedroom was.

          “What the fuck, Chaerin? How the hell did you get in my room?” her voice, as hoarse as it was in her state, exploded into the living room. Chaerin’s laughter echoed right after. “Get out!”

          When he returned his focus on Eunran, he pursed his lips into a tight smile.

          ...And it wasn’t like he was waiting on anyone all this time anyway.

 

* * *

  

**dahye-oppa**  
  
---  
  
he was like “why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”  
  
OK AND?!  
  
i told him it was weird he was asking me that  
  
lol ok why is it weird tho  
  
o i forgot to tell u we kinda boning on the side  
  
what  
the  
fuck  
  
L-O-L KMS  
  
so like fwb  
  
yah  
  
ok so what is the issue again?  
  
lol i think i like him  
  
he was obviously worrying about you...?! sounds to me like he might like you too?  
  
GROSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS  
  
same dude i didn’t think u had it in u  
i didn’t even know you had hIM IN U LOOOOOOL  
  
:(


	6. six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> compETITION!!!!!!!!!

 

**sol-noona**  
  
---  
  
hey noona! i’m here!  
  
I’m glad u decided to put that ticket to good use  
  
yeah i paid for it and everything anyway  
still annoyed that performers have to buy tickets wtf  
oh also i brought my friends  
seokjin-hyung bought them tickets  
  
omg that was sweet of him!  
i’ll try to come and say hi!  
  
no worries, i know you guys are getting ready  
  
 

* * *

 

          All around him, the audience was in chaos, yelling and screaming and clapping and shouting. Hoseok found himself joining the masses, his friends beside him awestruck by the sheer magnitude of excitement that Trybe’s performance elicited from them. Awestruck, but yelling and screaming and clapping and shouting along as well. It pleased Hoseok to see them so receptive to the atmosphere when he was originally worried by the attitudes that the other boys brought to their rehearsals. Sure he wanted to have fun with them, but they needed to learn how to work together in a professional manner if they were to improve as a team. Bringing them to Battlegrounds where Trybe was competing would surely inspire them to work harder.

          “Damn, we need to get our shit together if we wanna kick their ass,” Hoseok heard Yoongi growl with bubbling enthusiasm.

          Hoseok’s eyes remained fixed on stage where his old teammates were, watching them as they bowed and made their way off stage.

          “Damn is right,” Namjoon croaked.

          Hoseok turned to his new teammates as they all began to settle back down into their seats. There were still two acts left before the awards ceremony, both acts consisting of well-renowned dancers from overseas, but Hoseok didn’t care for them then. Instead, he beckoned for the other men to follow him out of their seats.

          “Hyung, where are we going?” Taehyung questioned, his curiosity getting the best of him.

          Jimin whined beside him. “We’re going to miss _Kinjaz_ and _Keone & Mari_.”

          The dancer cared not, leading the group out of the venue to another building in the plaza where he knew all the performers’ dressing rooms were located. Aware that the buildings would regularly be protected by volunteers filtering unwanteds, he also knew that as the event slowly came to a close, they were laxer with security. So when Hoseok stepped up to the entrance with the rest of the boys in tow, the volunteer let them pass through as long as they had their event wristbands.

          “Geez, that just seems like poor management,” Yoongi huffed.

          He shrugged, his focus on finding Trybe’s dressing room. While Seokjin, Namjoon, and Yoongi were following closely, Jimin and Taehyung were more adventurous and peeking into different rooms. Jungkook hovered to and fro between the two groups as if torn between wanting to please the older men and fulfilling his own curiosity with Jimin and Taehyung.

          “Come on, you guys,” Seokjin hissed when he noticed the maknae line dawdling.

          When they were reigned in, Hoseok was already knocking on a door, the sign posted on it reading in capitalized letters: _TRYBE | LADIES OF SILHOUETTE_. When the door pulled open, Hoseok noted that only the members of the former were the only ones left occupying the studio. He flushed at the sight of his old teammates gazing up at them, Daesung offering him a warm smile as he held the door open for him.

          “Hey, Hoseok-ie,” he greeted him before his eyes glazed over him to take count of the other men that accompanied him. “Hi, Seokjin-ie!”

          “What do you want?”

          Jiyong’s voice cut through the atmosphere as he pulled up behind Daesung, the younger man slinking away from his presence. Jiyong took up the whole frame of the door to block Hoseok’s view into the studio, unable to see the uncomfortable look on the rest of the team’s faces as displeased as they were with the attitude the leader decided to sport towards Hoseok. They had all gotten over the shock of his departure while Jiyong continued to dwell on it.

          His attitude didn’t faze Hoseok though. He had moved on from Jiyong.

          “I just wanted to come and congratulate you. You guys were amazing,” he breathed.

          Jiyong’s eyebrows furrowed and he crossed his arms before his gaze traveled to Hoseok’s company, in a more hostile manner than the way Daesung’s gaze wandered.

          “Got rid of some dead weight,” Jiyong answered, avoiding a more civil sign of gratitude. Hoseok swore he could hear Minji’s laugh in the background—she was among the few that was still bitter. He turned to look over his shoulder when Jiyong gestured at the other boys, all new faces for him save of Seokjin. “Friends?”

          “New team,” Hoseok braved. “Wanted to give them an idea of what to expect in the future.”

          “Good luck.”

          And with that, the door closed in his face. Hoseok had been far from bothered with the way he talked so callously to him, but when he shut the door so unceremoniously, he began to seethe and while the older man had uttered those two words meant for good wishes, he knew his intent was far from it. The phrase had been coated with too much sarcasm for it to be taken as well wishes. Behind him Yoongi stirred.

          “Oh my _God_ what a fucking dick,” he hissed. “I still don’t get how you lasted seven years with him.”

          Hoseok inhaled. Hoseok exhaled. Then he looked at Seokjin, Namjoon, Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook—all staring at him with a mix of emotions in regards to the scene that unfolded before them. He clasped his hands together.

          “It’s just going to be that much sweeter when we kick their ass.”

          At that, they all erupted in agreement trying to be as loud as they could outside Trybe’s dressing room. It relieved Hoseok to hear their reaction, easing him from such a riled state only to freeze when he heard the door open again. When he turned back, he found Sol’s, Chaerin’s, and Harin’s heads peeking out from behind it.

          “Thanks, Hoseok,” Sol beamed.

          “We miss you,” Chaerin added.

          “Not me,” Harin scoffed playfully. “See you later.”

          The Lee sisters disappeared, leaving Sol lingering.

          “Good luck.”

          Then she disappeared, the door closing in her absence.

          It was more convincing than Jiyong’s parting words, giving Hoseok more strength. Facing his friends, he held out his arms.

          “Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

          “ _AND FIRST PLACE GOES TO—TRYBE!_ ”


	7. seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> catchin feeeeeelings

          After every show and competition, the dance group, Trybe, go to their favorite twenty-four hour diner to celebrate—either a win or simply the end of another dance season. Like always, Seunghyun called the owners before hand to warn them of their arrival and by the time they arrived, they had a table for twenty prepared. One by one they filed into their seats and as they did, Seunghyun took a head count. They were short three people.

          “Where the hell are Seungri, Youngdon, and Youngdeuk?” he asked, his voice more exasperated than surprised. He first turned to look at Jiyong to see if he had any answers to share, but the younger man simply looked at him and shrugged. Then he turned to look at Chaerin and Sol. “Well?”

          Chaerin laughed. “They went to Jooeun’s place. The Ladies are hosting an after party there.”

          “Wow, T-F-T-I much?” Sohee whined.

          “The girls said everyone was invited,” Chaerin explained right away. “But… this is our thing. And Seungri and Youngdon have a thing for Jooeun.”

          Yoobin groaned. “This is like the second time we’ve met them.”

          “Yeah, but it’s so on brand for them to do something like that because of a girl,” Chaerin laughed again.

          “She was cute and weird,” Jiyong finally chimed in, his chin resting on a propped up hand. “I think Seungri would be able to attract her.”

          “Oh, God, no, I’d be more comfortable with her dating Youngdon,” Yeeun added.

          Daesung clicked his tongue. “I don’t know guys. I think the invitation was directed to Youngdeuk more than anything. She seemed to be really into him—she was watching him the whole time we were in the dressing room.”

          “But they’re twins… She probably mixed them up a few times?”

          Suddenly, the rest of the team were engrossed in the situation that their members had gotten themselves into, even placing bets as to who would be able to win over the girl from an opposing dance team. As they did so, Youngbae took the chance to get Sol’s attention.

          “Hey, Sol, I was wondering,” he muttered in hopes of not attracting anyone else’s attention. The way their seating arrangement was, he was sure that it wouldn’t be too hard. He just had to glance at her from his peripheral to make sure that she was indeed listening. “Since we’ll be taking two weeks of break, we should go out some time. Just the two of us. What do you think?”

          Youngbae tried hard to silence the drumming of his beating heart. Ever since Sunae had introduced him to her friend at Jiyong’s party, he started to consider what would become of his arrangement with Sol. Further contemplation made him realize that at some point, he had let his feelings get the best of him in regards to her. He knew that it was a bad thing because they both agreed from the beginning that it would strictly be just a friends-with-benefits arrangement but he had to come clean to her and hopefully, she felt the same way somehow.

          “Um,” was all she could muster before being struck with a fit of coughing. She reached for her cup of water and drank half of it before finally being able to breath. “I don’t know about that, _oppa_.”

          “Can we at least talk…?”

          “I’m really busy,” Sol insisted. “Since we’re taking a break, I offered to sub some classes so I could get more money and I already have plans with my high school friends.”

          Youngbae shifted in his seat so she was no longer within his peripheral.

          “Just text me okay? I’ll do my best to respond,” Sol offered, her voice quiet and apologetic.

          Youngbae didn’t respond.

          There was no way she felt the same way.

 

* * *

 

**hansol**  
  
---  
  
look sol

i know that we agreed, no strings attached

but

i got attached

and i hate that i have to do this over text

but i couldn’t wait any longer

i just had to tell you

i can’t get you out of my head

i like you

and i want to know if you feel the same  
  
 

* * *

 

**dahye-oppa**  
  
---  
  
DAHYE I’M FREAKING OUT

HE ASKED ME OUT ON A DATE AT DINNER AFTER THE COMPETITION

AND I FREAKED OUT AND I TURNED HIM DOWN

THEN WHEN I GOT HOME HE MESSAGED ME AND HE SAID

HE GOT ATTACHED  
  
again? where is the problem?

i told you he liked you too?

like i fucking called it?!  
  
I’M PRETTY SURE I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIM  
  
ohhhhh my god shut the fuck up and just date him already  
  
 

* * *

 

**hansol**  
  
---  
  
look sol

i know that we agreed, no strings attached

but

i got attached

and i hate that i have to do this over text

but i couldn’t wait any longer

i just had to tell you

i can’t get you out of my head

i like you

and i want to know if you feel the same  
  
ah ok…

yeah we should talk  
  
* * *

          Back in his own bed, Youngbae tossed his cellphone aside when Sol finally responded to him.

          He fucked up.


	8. eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> trybe takes a break

          “I love you _Min-saem_! Bye, bye!”

          Sunye sighed when the last of her students were picked up by their parents. Although she enjoyed teaching her third-grade classes every year, it was still quite difficult for her to keep up with their energy. It didn’t help that with every year, she was growing older and with every year, she was spending more time scolding her students. Their naughty behaviors were redeemed with the sweet farewells they offered her at every end of the day though, accompanied with hugs and sometimes kisses on her cheek.

          “How was the rest of your day?” Yeeun asked when she came around to her classroom entrance. Although she was addressing her friend, her focus was on the stuffed, manila folders in her arms. When she finally looked up at Sunye, she gave her a smile.

          “Same old, same old,” Sunye responded after gathering all her belongings. “The extra sleep definitely made them more easy to handle. I wonder why I don’t always get my full eight hours of sleep.”

          Yeeun threw her head back and laughed.

          “If only it were that easy.”

          The two young women continued to laugh among themselves in full understanding. They loved their jobs and they loved dancing with Trybe regardless of all the struggle that came along with it. It was a lifestyle that they had all too easily adapted too, Sunye starting at fourteen and Yeeun starting at seventeen. They had been in it for so long that it didn’t make sense to quit now just because they couldn’t get a full eight hours of sleep. That kind of struggle made it that much more rewarding for them.

          “At least we get a break from everyone for two weeks.”

          And that was usually enough time until everyone started to miss being in the studio again.

 

* * *

 

 

          You can never keep Minji away from the studio.

          While the directors of Trybe had announced that they would be taking a break after their latest competition for two weeks, Minji still frequented the studio. After all, she had a weekly line up to orchestrate. While the variety of her classes were not as colorful as Sol’s—she taught jazz, tap, and ballet on top of hip hop, albeit all beginner level—she still had her hand’s full with her six hip hop classes. In addition, it was a recital season.

          “Hey, Minji!”

          She looked up from her clipboard, in the middle of double checking her attendance list in case she needed to update it with late arrivals in her last class, to find Hoseok peeking in from the open door to her assigned studio. A scowl quickly made its way to her face. Hoseok winced.

          “What are you doing here?” she asked quite pointedly, averting her gaze so that she could prepare to shut down the stereo system. It wasn’t surprising to see Hoseok at the studio since he was also a teacher there, but they didn’t share the same schedule unless he was substituting for someone else. His normal days were Wednesdays and Fridays while hers were Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

          “Sol- _noona_ was subbing for Minyoung- _noona_ but she asked me to cover the last class super last minute,” Hoseok explained, his voice a little sheepish as he did so. He was glad that she was interacting with him, but nervous all the same since her attitude was still cold toward him. “Has she mentioned anything to you?”

          Minji glanced at him from the corner of her eye and her frown deepened. Sure, the older woman had spoken to her and if he was trying to be coy, sure, she had spoken to her about him specifically. The two women actually had quite the heart to heart and Minji told Sol that she would be more understanding but she still needed more time in warming back up to Hoseok.

          But Hoseok didn’t need to know that.

          Instead of answering him, she threw her backpack over her shoulder and with clipboard clutched to her chest, she pushed past him so that she could clock out for the night.

 

* * *

 

 

          A break meant they could pick up more hours and that was exactly what Youngdon, Youngdeuk, and Daesung did. The three worked at a fried chicken restaurant that the twins’ family owned. It was thanks to them that Daesung was able to work. Still, it was a wonder that he worked there at all…

          “Augh, my feet hurt,” he complained that night as they were cleaning up. The last of their customers finally left, leaving behind a mound of trash and chicken bones. “We’re supposed to be taking a break but we’re just working more…”

          “No one asked you to pick up any more shifts,” Youngdon laughed.

          Youngdeuk shook his head. “Auntie did. Besides, you’re in no shape to complain, Daesung. You’re the one who asked to work here. You could be working anywhere else with that fancy degree of yours.”

          Daesung responded with a huge foolish smile on his face. It was true—unlike Youngdon and Youngdeuk who opted out of completing their studies in order to help out with the family business, Daesung had earned a degree in Communications and could have nabbed any job he would have liked that suited his focus of study. But for some reason, he decided to work in a fried chicken restaurant.

          “I don’t get it, man,” Youngdon clicked his tongue as he returned to his task at hand—sweeping and then mopping the tiled floors.

          “I like chicken.”

          That was Daesung’s only explanation and that seemed to end the conversation.

 

* * *

 

 

          While everyone was out working during their break, Jiyong finally had the luxury to truly relax. There was no pre-planning that had to be had for any upcoming videos, no executive meetings with Yoobin and Youngbae in regards to their next competition, showcase, or fundraiser event, and even work had slowed down for him as a freelance sound engineer. For once in a long time, Jiyong could lean back into his couch and kick his feet up onto the coffee table while drinking cognac with his best friends.

          While Seunghyun sat to his left and talked rapidly about the last show that they all had missed due to their own rehearsals, Youngbae sat on the armchair on his right with a glass in one hand and his cellphone in the other. Jiyong noted the way the other man’s brows furrowed while staring at his screen.

          “Aye, Youngbae, what’s wrong?” Jiyong coughed out real quick, his curiosity getting the best of him. The older man to his left stopped talking right away, suddenly aware of the way their friend had been sitting so quietly, drink still full in his glass. “You haven’t touched your drink at all.”

          Youngbae startled in his seat when he realized he was being addressed and looked up at his two friends staring at him imploringly. Before answering, his eyes darted this way and that, eyes lingering a little too long towards the bathroom.

          “Nah, it’s nothing,” Youngbae wanted to say and he did, but the two other men were far from convinced. Youngbae gulped and looked down at his phone once more where he was staring at stale text messages before an idea came upon him. It was dumb, but he had already been thinking about it prior to their gathering. “I… I’ve been talking to Eunran- _ssi_.”

          This, Jiyong and Seunghyun were more willing to believe.

 

* * *

 

 

 _Clickity-clack-clack-click-click-click_.

          The sound of rapid-fire typing echoed in the building lobby, its high, vaulted ceiling gathering all the noise and easily throwing it back to its sources. It didn’t bother Yoobin and Sol much, the noise, as they were accustomed to their buildings’ small nuances. When the sound finally stopped, Yoobin garnered the younger woman’s attention.

          “Can you print out these layouts for Hyungdon and Daejoon? They’ll need it for tomorrow’s setup.”

          Sol looked over at the older woman with narrowed eyes. “Why… can’t you just do it yourself?”

          And immediately, Yoobin raised her hand and swatted at Sol’s shoulder.

          “Why can’t you ever just do as I ask without giving lip?” she hissed and the younger woman cackled in response. “I swear, the only time you ever show me some respect is at practice.”

          “That’s because you, Jiyong- _oppa_ , and Youngbae- _oppa_ are scarier in the studio,” Sol explained. “Here, not so much.”

          “Whatever. Just print-out the layout before I talk to Hwayoung- _unni_ about your position.”

          A squeak escaped Sol though it only transitioned to another count of cackling as Yoobin stood up from the seat beside her to prepare for her next meeting. As she gathered her things, a new thought overcame the older woman.

          “Are you going to the club with us tonight? Seungri said he’s getting bottle service,” Yoobin asked.

          “You know I don’t believe in clubs on the weekdays,” Sol simply responded. “Besides, I’ll be covering some classes at the studios tonight.”

          The older woman groaned. “Tonight, too?”

          “Every night,” Sol responded while wiggling her eyebrows. “What, you think I’m made of money like you? I gotta hustle just like everyone else, _unni_.”

          “Yeah well,” Yoobin breathed. “Make sure you can find time to actually breathe.”

          At that, Sol nodded and simply waved when Yoobin finally left for her meeting.

 

* * *

 

          “Chaerin didn’t tag along with you today,” Hyoseob stated.

          He probably meant it as a question to which Sol shrugged before greeting Hyuk and Dahye who were already sitting in the recording booth. Sol shrugged off her belongings at the couch positioned just behind the soundboard before hovering over it beside Hyoseob.

          “Seungri got bottle service tonight so they’re all at the club,” Sol explained. Before he could divulge, she continued and added, “I subbed two classes right before coming here. I thought Dahye told you.”

          “He probably wasn’t listening,” Dahye chimed in as she exited the recording booth. Hyuk followed a beat after. “We just finished recording. Did you wanna do your cover?”

          Sol nodded right away. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to decide between an oldie or an international.”

          “Which ones?”

          “‘Let Me Dance” by Lexy or “Crush” by Yuna,” Sol listed.

          “Those are both duets,” Hyuk pointed out.

          “Yeah, I want Dahye to record with me,” Sol fired back before climbing into the recording booth. She watched as Hyuk leaned over the soundboard.

          “There’s a male part for each song though,” he pointed out again.

          “I wanna do the male part!” Sol shouted now.

          From the other side, she could hear Dahye laugh before she finally returned into the recording booth. The two women set themselves up, each helping the other with their headphones and microphones. When they were ready, Dahye looked at Sol.

          “So which one is it?”

          Sol paused for another few seconds before finally answered.

          “Crush.”


End file.
